14 Dwarves
by TearsOfEagles
Summary: 14 dwarves. Friendship and Humor. I shall not tell you anything in this about who loves who as that would be telling. And there is no gossiping in this story as this is no Mary Sue or Sterotypical fanfiction. This is different. Plus no Dwarf-women have beards.
1. Chapter 1- 'Way to make an entrance

** Hello!**

**My name is Emily and I have been thinking of writing a hobbit fan fiction in a while as I have had this in my head for a while!  
I needed to get it down on paper.  
I'm sorry about mistakes. Before, I just wrote it and posted it without reading through, and that it what is happening right now, reading it through.  
This is not a romance. Or of that type. As I just wanted myself to be in the hobbit and make friends with everyone! FRIENDSHIP IS BEAUTIFUL.  
Farewell.**

* * *

In a hole, in the ground, there lived a hobbit. This was not a nasty, dirty hole full of worms, for this was a hobbit hole; that means comfort. His front door was a calm shade of light green, the kind lush grass is on a hot summers day.

Bilbo Baggins was sitting on a small wooden bench on his garden, smoking his long pipe and watching the world go by. Yes, Bilbo Baggins. That was his name. He was the hobbit who lived in this house. A respected, well thought of hobbit. Well… That was until…

"Good Morning!"

"What do you mean by good morning?"…

* * *

_Finally! Dinner at last!_ Thought Bilbo as he tucked his napkin into his nightgown._ All this sudden talk about adventures if not good for my health. I need a good lone meal…_

**Rat-a-tat-tat**

Bilbo stopped in mid-action and stared at the fish on his plate as if the noise had come from it. He looked around for a bit and then realized that it was someone knocking at the door. _Really! Who could be calling at this time of night? It must be some type of drunkard who has wondered too far from the Green Dragon. _Bilbo tightly wrapped his auburn dressing gown around him and opened his round door.

"Dwalin, at your service." A bald dwarf with tattoos across his head bowed deeply in front of him. He wore a heavy grey fur coat and a massive axe was tightly strapped onto his back, but it was loose enough in case he needed to use it in battle.

"Bilbo Baggins at yours." He mumbled back, wide eyed and without a trace of a clue of what was happening. Dwalin walked straight past him and chucked his axe on a small oak stool. "Sorry, do I know you?"

"No." Dwalin answered bluntly and walked straight into the dimly lit dining room. "Where's the food? Gandalf said there would be food, and lots of it."

"G-Gandalf?" Bilbo stuttered and his mind wandered its way back to when he had seen Gandalf this morning, _'So its settled, it will be good for you and amusing for me.'_

Dwalin turning swiftly around and gave Bilbo a death glare.

Bilbo shifted a bit under his gaze "This way…" he muttered and gestured to his plate, offering Dwalin his dinner of peas, carrots and mackerel.

"This is very good!" Grunted Dwalin while sweet Bilbo was sitting in the corner, wondering by a dwarf was in his house. "Do you have any more?"

Bilbo nodded and offered a plate of small bread rolls (Not before he had taken one himself as he wasn't sure if the dwarf would ever stop eating.)

**Rat-a-tat-tat**

Bilbo looked around for the source of the sound again before realizing it was the door.

"That'll be the door." Dwalin pointed out obviously.

_This is all rather strange!_ Bilbo thought as he made his way to his front door,_ two callings in one night! And one that I don't even know! That will be the neighbor wondering why there is a strange dwarf sitting-_

"Balin, at your service." An older looking dwarf bowed in front of him.

"Balin!" a gruff voice called from the dining room, Dwalin waddled over to the white bearded dwarf, grabbed his shoulders in a brother like fashion and then suddenly banged heads together. _They must have very thick skulls, Bilbo pondered, distracted. _The two dwarfs started making a conversation, marched into the pantry and started grabbing things at random. Poor Bilbo started trying to complain at the things they were throwing over their shoulders but all the dwarfs managed to hear was: "I wasn't expecting company, I am sorry." because they were muttering about some blue cheese.

"Apology accepted." Balin muttered before tossing the cheese over his head.

**Rat-a-tat-tat**

"Fili," Said the Blonde,

"And Kili" Said the Brunette,

"At your service." They both bowed and spoke in sync.

"Ah! You must be Mister Boggins!" Said the cleanly shaven dwarf who claimed to be the one named Kili.

"It's Baggins actually- Hey! Stop that! That's my grand-mothers glory box!" Bilbo said shutting the door. However it would not shut as there was a leather boot holding it open. He opened the door up again, only to be confronted by a hooded figure, about 3 inches taller than he.

He bowed, letting his hood fall away and muttered, "Morlia, at your service" Then it dawned on him that this was no male dwarf, for this was a dwarf-woman. She had honey blond hair that went a little past her shoulders and green eyes. Wait, scratch that; Green Eye; the left eye was covered up by a large, black eye patch.

"No! No! No! No more dwarfs today! Thank you!" Bilbo shouted trying to close the door.

"You wouldn't let a poor dwarf-woman out in the rain would you?" She laughed as Bilbo opened the door again with a sigh, eyeing her wearily. She wore a black cloak, a small brown jacket (which seemed to be made of sheep skin) a white shirt and small leather bodice. She walked straight past him, as if she owned the place, and dumped her wet cloak on a hook to dry it out. Then dumped a sword from her waist and started unbuckling some straps on her wrists, which held on leather pouches that contained throwing knives. "Don't touch my sword." She half-laughed, half-growled, as she made her way into the dining room greeting the dwarves joyfully.

"Morlia! "Cried two voices as the two brothers ran towards her and gave a huge hug. In fact the embrace was so forceful that she fell to the floor with them on top of her.

"What are you two doing here? Last time I saw you in the Blue Mountains you were ye high!" Morlia laughed, struggling for breath under their weight. "Now get off me, ye fat oafs."

"But what are you doing here! We haven't seen you in an age!" Kili exclaimed.

"Hush! I asked first, answer my question! You," She pointed at him, "Don't even have a beard yet! Why are you coming on this quest?"

"Uncle let us come with him," answered Fili, laughing at Morlia's commented about Kili's beard.

Morlia raised an eyebrow with a disbelieving look on her face, "Now that must be a lie! Thorin would never let you come! You must be only 50!"

"That was the same age that you were a warrior!"

"Sh! No one must know!" She held a finger to her lips as Fili helped her up of the clean, wooden floor

**Rat-a-tat-tat**

Bilbo groaned and tore his gaze away from this happy dwarf reunion.

_Poor Bilbo, _thought Morlia. _It looks like he has no idea of what's happening!_

He opened the front door again and 7 dwarves fell down onto the front doorstep with the grey wizard standing a couple of feet behind them.

_ "'Way to make an entrance!" Morlia snorted.  
_


	2. Chapter 2 - Smiles all around

**Hello readers!  
Thank you for the 35 views for far ^-^ it makes me really happy!**

**Carry on~**

* * *

**Chapter 2- Will make you smile (hopefully)**

* * *

"_'__Way to make an entrance!" Morlia snorted._

* * *

Kili and Fili laughed at the squashed bundle of dwarves on the front door mat, because the dwarf on the top of the pile was as round as a pumpkin (and looked like one too!)

"Get off me ya great lump!" cried a merry little voice at the very bottom of the pile; a voice that Morlia thought sounded familiar.

"Bofur!" She cried.

"Who said that?" He quickly wiggled out the bottom of the pile and spun around the hallway, quickly, in search of the speaker.

"That might have been me." She smiled as Bofur noticed her blonde hair, though he did not move, as he seemed stunned.

"Wait. Stop, stop stop! Is it the drink that is playing around with my mind or is that- is that-" Bofur stuttered, shaking his head in disbelief and pointing a shaking hand at her.

"Indeed it is," laughed Kili, clapping him on the back and walking past him. Bofur ran clumsily towards her and span her around in a little circle before embracing his old friend tightly.

"Oh! Have I missed you missy! I thought you to be dead!" He shouted, whilst his eyes shined with un-shed tears.

"Oh, well, I'll try not to worry you next time." She shouted back at him before kissing him on the forehead. "Race you to the pantry." She then whispered, and then sprinted through the dining room.

"SHE CHEATS, SHE CHEATS!" He screamed and ran after her.

* * *

"Morlia, Bofur, Bifur, Bombur, Ori, Dori, Nori," Gandalf counted on his fingers, walking around the dining room," Oin, Gloin-"

"Sorry to interrupt, but may I interest you in a small mug of chamomile?" Asked Dori, kindly, with a little tea tray in his hands.

"No thank you. I would much prefer a large glass of red wine." Gandalf smiled back at the old dwarf. "Where was I…" He paused for a second in thought "Oh yes! Fili, Kili, Dwalin, Balin… and oh it appears we are one missing…"

"A glass of red wine as you ordered Mister Gandalf." Dori pushed a tiny glass into Gandalf's hand that was full of blood coloured liquor and returning to the kitchen.

"Put that back! Stop, I said that back! Now!" Bilbo demanded, Don't you need a cheese knife?" He asked as Bombur walked past with a stack of 4 cheeses.

"Cheese knife? Who says you need a cheese knife? He eats it by the block." Bofur pointed out as he went into the almost empty pantry.

"Still slow my old friend!" Laughed Morlia as she grabbed a plate of honey-glazed ham and walked over to put it on the large, oak table.

"Old? Old! Look who's talking! You must be at least 140!" Scoffed Bofur, who joined her at the table.

"Excuse me! You know that it is rude to comment on a _Lady's_ age!' Morlia accused him in mock offense and sat down on a chair.

"Good thing you ain't a _Lady_!" Bofur laughed, but then scowled at her because she had just hit him on the back of his head.

"I can be a lady when I want to be!"

"If you say so!" Bofur laughed but then quickly took and ale from Fili's hand as Morlia was giving him a death stare while drinking her own. It suddenly went very quiet as all the dwarfs were chucking the ales down the fronts. Then Bofur burped loudly and every dwarf burst out laughing and tried burping their selves. Most had quiet burps and then-

"*_BELCHHHH*" _Everyone laughed as the loudest burp had come from their every youngest: Ori.

"So, tell us Leah!" Shouted Fili, "Where have you been these past 30 years?" Morlia looked hesitant so the rest of the company stared chanting, 'Tell us, tell us!' so finally she gave in to peer pressure.

"I have been wandering." She gave a simple answer.

"Like we believe that! To hell with it!" Shouted Dwalin who sat at the opposite end, slamming his fist on the table. And the rest ofThe company started mumbling in agreement.

"We all know you better than that Leah!" Shouted Kili, who hinted at the fact that she had snuck into the army of Erbor, a fact that no one else knew accept for Gandalf, for that was the reason he invited her on this quest.

She gave him a dark glare and shouted very dramatically, "I traveled to the very ends of Middle Earth and back! To bring havoc and mayhem everywhere!" Everyone shouted in joy and banged their mugs together in cheers. Gandalf gave her look of warning so she smiled happily back at him. "And what have you been up to my dearest friends?" She shouted, "It looks like you two," she gestured to Kili and Fili, "Have done some growing! Last time I saw you, Kili, was when you ran around me screaming for adventure!"

"He hasn't changed!" Laughed Fili, loudly, much to Kili's dismay as the company laughed again.

The feast went on for a while in till it had quieted down a bit and most dwarves had finished eating and had got up from the table to talk in smaller groups. Morlia went to sit down in an armchair by the crackling fire, warming up her feet and hands. As soon as sat down in the comfortable armchair, she relaxed and let out a sigh.

"You sound tired." An older voice came from behind her.

"I don't see how I wouldn't be." She replied to Balin, as he slowly sat down in the other large armchair next to her.

"It's not right for you to be tired like this though." He said, staring into the fire.

"What do you mean 'like this though?'" She asked, looking over at him questionably.

"You shouldn't be going on quests like this. You are a woman. You should be at home like this with little ginger dwarves running around you."

"No. First of all, not all women _want_ to stay at home and have a predictable life. Second, really? Me? With children? How do you suppose that would work out?" She glanced over at him and he snorted, "And Third, maybe I do not _want_ to be comfortable my whole life, I cannot stand boring."

Someone stepped out into the hallway that just was caught in the corner of Morlia's eye.: Ori. She turned her head around to him as he spoke.

"Excuse me, but what should I do with my plate?" He asked Bilbo innocently.

A voice shouted from across the hallway, "Past it here Ori!" Kili. Of course it _had_ to be him. Ori tossed his plate to Kili who shouted at Fili, who caught it and tosses it into the kitchen where some other dwarf must have caught it. Morlia got up from her comfortable seat and watched this funny montage go on. Soon a chain of plates were making their way into the small kitchen, where a clinking sound was coming from: Knives and Forks.

"Please don't do that! You'll blunt them!" Bilbo shouted, with his hand over his forehead in stress.

"Ooh! Did ya hear that lads! He says we'll blunt the knives!" Bofur's teasing voice said.

_"__Blunt the knives, Bend the forks,"_ started Kili.

_"__Chip the glasses and crack the plates,"_ Joined Fili, picking the tune up from his brother, then the rest of the dwarves all ended up singing along as poor Bilbo tried to stop them.

_"__Smash the bottles and burn the corks, _

**_That's what Bilbo Baggins hates, "_** At this line Bilbo put his heads on his head, like you might do in a horrible dream, and so Morlia skipped over to him, span him around and started dancing with him. It was quite a funny sight as Morlia was a bit taller than Bilbo and kept tripping over his big, hairy feet.

_ "__Cut the cloth and tread the fat, _

_Pour the milk on the pantry floor,_

_Leave the bones on every floor,_

_Splash the wine on every door, _

**_That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!_**

_Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl,_

_Pound them with a thumping pole, _

_And when you've finished, if any whole, _

_Send them down the hall to roll!"_

Dwalin and Bofur got their little flutes out and started playing a lovely little tune.

"**_That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!_**" All the dwarves shouted and started laughing at Bilbo's face as Morlia span him round to see a clean stack of dishes and cutlery.

Three knocks sounded at the door.


	3. Chapter 3- betting

**Hello!  
I just wanna clear something.**

_**I AM ENGLISH**_

**So yeah.**

**Enjoy**

* * *

**Betting**

* * *

_Three knocks sounded at the door._

* * *

"Thorin! You're late!" Gandalf scolded as he opened the small, green door, which revealed a majestic looking dwarf [insert majestic glow] with black hair and piecing blue eyes.

"I missed the turning about fives miles back: I would have been later if it were not for the rune on the door." He defended himself in a low voice.

"Rune? What rune?" The little hobbit on Gandalf's right questioned, "I painted that door only last week!"

Gandalf paused and glanced at Thorin, "Yes there is a rune. I put it there myself." He looked at Bilbo again, and then back at Thorin.

"And who's this?"

Gandalf smiled and straightened his back, "This, my dear Bilbo is Thorin Oakenshield, the leader of the company." [This is where the majestic glow around Thorin glows even more brightly]

"So you must be our burglar!" Thorin came through the door and looked down at Bilbo, "Sword or Hammer? That is your choice." He hung his cloak next to Morlia's (Though he did not notice it) and the looked back at Bilbo, "Do tell me Mr. Baggins, are you good with a sword?"

"Well, I do have a particular knack for conkers, but I do not know how that is relevant." He mumbled.

"I thought as much." Thorin snorted and walked calmly into the dining room where a hot bowl of soup was waiting for him. Thorin sat down, looked over to Gandalf and whispered, "I thought you were giving me a burglar, not a Hobbit!"

"And who says Hobbits cannot be burglars?" Said someone from the other end of the table, "There are very quiet on their feet and if you wanted anyone better… well I do not like to speak of them. But you know of whom I mean and I hardly recommend _them_ this company."

Thorin raised his eyebrows and slowly turned his head towards the speaker. And there she was. Feet on the table, pipe in hand and smirking. Thorin chocked on his soup.

"Hello." She smiled happily at his astonished face..

"Hello." Thorin mumbled back, as if nothing had happened, "I suppose you'll be wanting to join the company?"

"I did not come all this way just for leisure." She smiled again," Although Hobbiton is a beautiful place." She reassured Bilbo.

"Morlia, you were on the South Downs. I would hardly call that far-" Gandalf scolded.

"-Anyway!" She quickly cut off Gandalf, who gave her a look, "What do the dwarrow in the Iron hills say?"

"They will not come," Grumbled Thorin, all the rest of the dwarves groaned, "Dain says that it is our problem, not his."

"Then what shall we do? There is only 13 of us, and we're not the brightest." Balin sighed.

"14!" Called Morlia. He nodded at her.

"Yes we may be few of us but all of us are warriors. Down to the last one!" Fili slammed his fist down on the table.

"And some of you may forget, but we have a _wizard_ in our company. He has probably slain dozens of dragons!" Kili looked expectantly at Gandalf.

He remained silent, smoking his pipe.

"Well then give us a number!" Shouted Dori and the rest of the dwarves started shouting at him.

"ENOUGH!" Thorin shouted over the top of everyone, Morlia held back a laugh but didn't manage it and she started coughing from the sudden inhale of smoke: Bifur clapped her on the back.

"Most of you have forgotten… that there is no way in that mountain. The front gate is sealed shut!" Mumbled Balin.

Gandalf coughed, "well, my dear Balin, That is not entirely true…"Gandalf pulled out an old piece of parchment from his pocket and spread it on the table. "Bilbo, could you get us some light?" Gandalf asked as Thorin squinted at the piece of parchment. Bilbo went out of the room and came back in with an alit candlestick.

"The l-o-n-e-l-y m-o-u-n-t-a-i-n. The lonely mountain." Bilbo spelt out, reading the parchment.

"It's a map." Ori exclaimed: Morlia rolled her eyes.

Gandalf nodded and pulled a large iron key out of his pocket, which he handed to Thorin.

Thorin grasped the key tightly as the rest of the company leaned in, "How did you come by this?" He breathed.

"You father left it in my possession before he went off." Gandalf said calmly.

"It's a key!" Fili exclaimed.

"There's another way in!" Kili shouted afterwards.

* * *

T was dawn, the sun was just beginning to rise, the birds had just begun to sing and Morlia had just woken up.

'_Pony'_ she reminded her self as soon as she sat up from where she was lying (In between Ori and Kili), as that is what she needed to buy before they set off, otherwise she would have to walk. Walking to the lonely mountain on foot is not a great idea.

Morlia stretched, carefully, because if she made a slight sound Thorin would awaken, and tied back her hair with a band of brown leather. Then, she packed away her small bedroll, put on her black cloak and strolled out the door, leaving her belongings in the Hobbit's home.

On her way out, she noticed an unsigned contract, clearly stating that the hobbit did not want to come. She sighed. '_I wonder if he will change his mind. It would be pleasant for this youngster to come with us. It will give him a sense of adventure and freedom, plus I have a feeling that he will come of use later on. If he didn't have potential, why would Gandalf invite him on this quest?' _She snorted_, 'But then again, why does Gandalf do anything.'_

"I suppose your going to buy a new pony?"

She nodded, turning towards the speaker. "Do you know how much Hobbits charge for ponies? I don't know if I have enough silver."

Thorin scoffed, "Since when have you ever run out of silver? I seem to remember that whenever you said you had run out, my sister gave you around two dozen extra pieces. Am I correct?"

Morlia tried to put a look of innocence on her face, but it obviously was not working from the knowing look that Thorin was giving her, "Alright, alright!" She held her hands up in defense, "Maybe I was exaggerating but… at least it worked." She smiled, "So do you know how much they are or…"

"They come as 25 pieces around here, unless your you, and you try to get "The best" which it then would probably be around 36 pieces." He smiled, kindly.

"Thank you," she smiled and left through the front gate.

* * *

"I bet 5 pieces of silver that he will come." Shouted Ori, from the middle of the group. Morlia scoffed at his poor offer.

"I bet against that." Shouted Thorin, chuckling at Ori's offer.

"I bet **20** pieces that he **will** come." Shouted Morlia at the back of the group. Silence followed.

"Ah, stuff it! I bet** against that!" **Shouted Gloin from Ori's side. Then everyone started making their own bets around them.

Thorin slowed his pony so that he was riding next to Morlia and turned his head to look at her, "You know, you shouldn't have made a bet so high. You know that he's not coming."

She raised an eyebrow at him and said, "So you think I just made a bet that high just so Ori doesn't look bad?" He looked away. "You always have to put me under a bad light." She chuckled, "No, I believe he's going to come."

He turned towards her again, "What makes you so sure?"

"Lets just say… 1," She held up a finger, "He has no food," Thorin shook his head and smiled at the ground, "2," She held up another finger, "I placed the contract, right where he will see it, with a quill and some ink at the bottom. And 3," She held up another, "I wrote him a note."

"A note?" Thorin questioned.

"Yes."

"And what did this "Note" say?"

"It said something along the lines of; "If you don't get out of your hole now, you wont ever, and you will be stuck in the shire for the rest of your life." "

"Uhuh." He nodded his head, "So this makes you sure that he is going to come-"

"WAIT!" Shouted a small voice from behind them. They turned around and sure enough a small hobbit wearing a little brown coat was running behind them, holding a long piece of parchment in his hands.

"Get him a pony." Grunted Thorin as he moved to the front of the group.


	4. Chapter 4- The King of Erbor

**Hello children.  
**

**Person: This story is epic!  
Me: I know right!  
Person: Did you make it up by yourself?  
Me: Yes.  
*Ghost of J.R.R. Tolkien appears*  
Me: *Gets down on knees*  
Tolkien: *Raises eyebrow*  
Me:*Turns to person* Are elves majestic?  
Person: Yes-  
Me:*Coughs really hard*  
Person: No-  
Me: That answered your question?  
Person: No-  
Me: Good.  
*Ghost disappears***

**Chapter 4: The King of Erbor**

* * *

_"__Get him a pony," Grunted Thorin, and he moved the front of the company_.

* * *

Fili and Kili grabbed Bilbo by his small rucksack and lifted him onto a small, brown pony by the name of Myrtle, who whinnied in protest. Bilbo sat awkwardly and with a straight back, leaning slightly away from the reins, unsure on how he felt about it. Morlia glanced back at him and chuckled at the funny sight.

"Come on Gloin. Pay up!" Morlia yelled. He grumbled but then counted the coins out, tied them in a small sack and tossed them back at her. She caught it and threw it up in the air, smiling at her winnings. Bilbo looked back at her and frowned.

"What's that about?" Bilbo turned to Gandalf, who was ridding on his horse beside him.

"Oh!" Gandalf said to the confused Hobbit, "The took wages," His voice then turned disapproving, "On whether or not you'd turn up," He looked at the ground, "Most of them bet that you wouldn't."

"And … what did you think?" Bilbo asked Gandalf, unsure whether he wanted an answer or not.

"Well, now…" He mumbled, then he caught a brown sack of money that was tossed towards him and he chuckled to his-self, "My dear fella, I never doubted you for a second."

Bilbo nodded approvingly but then sneezed, held his hand up to his nose, and started looking about for a handkerchief, "Oh, it's horse hair," he grumbled, reaching into his left pocket, "' Having an reaction," he then reached into his right pocket, but he still couldn't find one. "No, wait, wait, STOP!" He held his hand out to the Company, gesturing for them to stop. "STOP! We have to turn around!"

The company stopped to turn around at him.

"What an earth is the matter?" Gandalf asked.

"I have forgotten my handkerchief."

"Here!" Said Bofur in front of him, ripping of a piece of his brown shirt, "Use this!" and he tossed it back.

Bilbo caught it in-between two of his fingers and smelt it. He screwed up his face in disgust and lent away from it. The Company laughed at him.

"Move on," said Thorin from the front of the group.

Gandalf chuckled and turned to Bilbo, "My dear Bilbo, you will need to live with a great many other comforts of the Shire when your on the road, let alone a pocket handkerchief!" And with that the company moved on.

They rode along-side rivers; pass trees, through fields and down rocky hills; through forests and up green rolling hills, until the sun had begun to set beyond the horizon and the ponies started to slow.

The Company came to rest on a small ledge up a hill. As soon as they got off the ponies they got to work: unrolling their packs and collecting wood for the fire.

"Oin, Gloin- do not let that fire go out until morning. I would like to make sure that we can see the Orcs just as well as they can see us," Thorin ordered the two brothers as they started choosing a nice spot to start the fire. "Bombur," he turned to the large dwarf who was unpacking his pots and pans, "Cook us something that shall fill us- we have a long day tomorrow."

"Alright. I need three rabbits …" Bombur frowned in thought for a second, "…No… make it four."

"Just remember Bombur," Morlia called out from behind her pony, "We other dwarves have the right to eat tonight as well as you."

Bofur and Dwalin laughed heartily from beside her.

"And don't forget, Morlia," Thorin chuckled, "You're the one who has to catch those rabbits."

Morlia's face dropped instantly as Dwalin chuckled from behind his pony, so she walked up behind him and whacked his head. However, he saw this coming so he grabbed her arms and threw her over his pony. The Company laughed as she landed on the ground.

"Is she ok?" Bilbo asked Balin nervously.

Balin chuckled and turned to him, "Don't worry lad, she has been around my brother for long enough to know that is what happens when you pick a fight with him."

Bilbo frowned, "Your brother?"

"Yes. It might be hard to see it, but yes, Dwalin is my brother. Well in fact, all of us are related in some way or another," Balin smiled, "Morlia, for example, is actually my first cousin. And Thorin is Fili and Kili's Uncle."

Bilbo nodded, "So, Morlia and Dwalin have been friends for a long time?"

Balin laughed, "Yes, Morlia, Dwalin and Thorin have always been together ever since they we young."

"Thorin?"

"Yes. It is quite hard to imagine, but I assure you, he didn't always have duties to attend to."

* * *

It was now dark. The fire was crackling and the dwarves were snoring. Though, a couple of them were awake, smoking their pipes. Bilbo could not stand Gloin's snoring any longer. He got up, then got something out of his pack and gave it to his pony, Myrtle. A screech was heard in the distance. Bilbo turned around wide-eyed to Fili and Kili, who were smoking by the fire.

"What was that?" He asked, pointing to the sound.

Kili listened to the sound again before he muttered, "Orcs."

"Orcs?"

Thorin jolted awake and looked around.

"Throat cutters," Fili explained, "There'd be dozens of them out there… the low lands are crawling with them…"

"They say that they strike in the late hours of the day, when everyone's asleep, quick and quiet… no screams… just lot's of blood." Kili continued. Then he turned to Fili and laughed.

"- You think that's funny?" Thorin said, "You think a night raid by an Orc is a joke?"

"We didn't mean anything by it…" Kili said, bowing his head.

"No, you didn't." He said, walking over to where Morlia sat by the edge of the ledge, "You know nothing of the world"

Balin walked over to the fire where they were sitting, "Don't mind him, lads." He lent his arm up against the stone; "He has more reasons to hate Orcs than most." He looked into the fire, "After the dragon took the lonely mountain, King Thror, Thorin's grandfather, tried to reclaim the ancient dwarf kingdom of Moria…

" …But our enemy had got there first. Moria had been taken by legions of Orcs, led by the most vile of all their race: Azog, the defiler. The giant Bundabad Orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin," Balin paused and smiled grimly, "He began…" He looked at Thorin, "By beheading the king…"Thrain, Thorin's father, was driven mad by grief and he went missing: taken prisoner or killed, we did not know," Balin sighed, "We were leaderless with defeat and death upon us." He nodded, "That is when, I saw him." He glanced at Thorin, who was looking out into the darkness, "A young, dwarf Prince, facing down the Pale Orc. He stood alone against this terrible foe. His armor went and he wielded nothing by an oaken branch as a shield.

"Azog, the defiler, learnt that day that the line of Durin would not be so easily broken. Our forces rallied and drove the Orcs back. Our enemy had been defeated. But…" Balin looked back into the fire with watering eyes, "…there was no feast, nor song that came that night for our dead were beyond the count of grief. We few had survived. And I thought to myself then as I looked upon the dwarf prince: there is one I could follow, there is one who I could call king."

Thorin then turned around, a tear in his eye, to face his company. They had all stood up and were looking at him in awe and sympathy. He hastily wiped it away and then walked towards the fire.

"And the Pale Orc?" Bilbo asked Balin, "What happened to him?"

"It slunk back into the whole from whence it came," Thorin answered angrily, "That filth died of his wounds long ago."

From out of the corner of Bilbo's eye he saw Gandalf give a look to Balin, which indicated something else.

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Rate and Review because Smaug is watching you.


	5. Chapter 5- For the love of Bread!

**Hi.  
I am so so sorry if this makes no sense.  
I shall read it and then edit it tomorrow (3/11/14)  
**

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**Chapter 5- For the love of Bread!**

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It was chucking it down. The water seeped into the dwarves' clothes and stayed there, weighing everyone down.

"Say, Mr. Gandalf?" Dori called out from the middle of the group, "Can't you do anything about this deluge?"

"It is raining, Master Dwarf, and it will continue to rain until the rain has done." Gandalf said, "If you wish to change the weather of the world, you should find yourself another Wizard."

Dori rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Are there any?" Asked Bilbo.

"What?"

"Other Wizards?"

"There are five of us. The greatest of our order is Saruman the White. Then there are the two blueses, you know, I have quite forgotten their names…"

Bilbo nodded, "And who's the fifth?"

"Well, that would be Radagast, the brown," Gandalf smiled.

"Is he a great wizard?" Bilbo asked, squinting through the rain, "Or is he more like you?"

Gandalf grumbled and turned round to look at Bilbo, "I think he is a very great wizard, in his own way. He is a gentle soul who prefers the company of animals to others." He turned forwards again, "He keeps a watchful eye on the lands of the east, and a good thing too, for evil will always try to find a foot hole in this world."

"Damn this rain!" Morlia shouted to the sky. She had taken some bread out of her rucksack, only to find that the rain had found it before she had.

"Don't worry. You can have some of mine," Bofur smiled and searched in his bag for his, however his was also soggy. He frowned in sadness as he took out this soaked piece of bread, "My bread! Look at what has happened to my bread! One day you will have to face the rage of Bofur!" He shouted up at the clouds.

"Aw. Poor Bofur," Morlia simpered, before she gave him a hug, "We all know you loved that piece of bread."

"That was not just any piece of bread!" Bofur cried out, "That was a lovely spongy slice all the way from the Shire," He looked at his hands, then at Morlia with puppy eyes; "I was going to share that with you."

Morlia hugged him and patted him on the back.

"What about me?" asked Nori behind them.

"Of course. I would have shared it with you as well." Bofur cried out.

"And me?" asked Ori.

"Yes!"

"Us too?" asked Fili and Kili.

"Yes, of course lads!"

"And me?" asked Bombur.

"No."

The company chuckled around them.

"Why not?" Bombur cried to him, "I could have made some stew to go with it!"

"Because you have had enough bread as it is!" Morlia called to him and she threw her soggy bread at him, which he caught and tossed back at her. So she threw it back at him, but he ducked and it hit Dwalin on his bald, tattooed head.

"Wanaz," Morlia muttered underneath he breath.

"What did you say?!" Shouted Dwalin as he threw the bread off his head and started to ride towards her.

"Nothing! I said nothing! Your beard is wonderful!" Morlia yelped as drove her pony into a canter. She raced past Thorin and Gandalf who were talking at the front and through the trees in front of them.

"Come back here!" Dwalin shouted at her, before racing off after her.

Thorin and Gandalf chuckled.

"She doesn't really learn from her past mistakes does she?" Gandalf said.

"No, I don't think she does."

* * *

The company arrived at an old abandoned farmhouse, next to some rocky hills and a green forest.

"We camp here for the night," Thorin ordered the others as he dismounted, Daisy, his pony, "Fili, Kili- look after the ponies, make sure you stay with them, and that they are fed."

"A farmer and his family used to live here," Gandalf muttered as he took a look around the hut.

"Oin, Gloin- get a fire going." Thorin said to the two brothers.

"I think it would be wiser to move on," Gandalf called to Thorin, "You could make for the hidden valley."

"I have told you already, I will not go near that place!" Thorin said angrily.

"Why not? The elves could help us! Lord Elrond would give us food, rest and advise!"

"I do not need their advise!" Thorin's lip turned up in disgust.

"We have a map, that we cannot read. Lord Elrond could help us!" Gandalf gestured over the hills.

Thorin looked at Gandalf like a giant tumor had grown in his brain and was pulsing out of his forehead, "Help? What help came from the elves when Erbor fell? Orcs plunder Moria, desecrating the land; the elves looked on and did nothing! You have asked my to rely on the people who betrayed my grandfather: who betrayed my father."

"You are neither of them!" Gandalf scolded, "I did not give you that key and map for you to hold onto the past!"

"I did not know they were yours to keep!" Thorin retorted.

Gandalf huffed angrily, shook his head and started striding away from the Company.

"Is… everything alright?" Bilbo asked carefully as Gandalf walked past him, "Gandalf? Where are you going?!"

"To seek company of the only one around here who has any sense!" Called to him.

"And… who's that?"

"Myself Master Baggins!" Gandalf shouted, then he mumbled, "I have had enough of dwarves for today."

The others looked to the Grey Wizard as he marched down the hill.

"Come on Bombur, we're hungry." Said Thorin from the entrance of the abandoned house.

Morlia unrolled her pack on the ground, near the fire, and got out her polishing cloth so she could polish her many throwing knives.

"What are you doing?" Thorin asked.

She held up the knife she was polishing, "Polishing."

Thorin rolled his eyes and chuckled, "_Why_ are you polishing?"

"Because I want my knives to be polished," She deadpanned.

"Why don't you do something useful?"

"Because I am polishing my knives."

"Hey Morlia!" Ori shouted, "Can you help me with my fighting?"

Thorin raised his eyebrow expectantly at her so she raised her eyebrow at him.

"No, I am polishing my knives."

"Morlia." Thorin warned.

"Yes?"

"Go help Ori."

"Okay."

She got up, carrying her sword with her as she walked over to Ori.

"What can I help you with?"

"Er… well… I need a practice partner…" He looked at the ground, "… and I was wondering if you…" He looked up at her, "…Maybe wanted to practice with me…?"

Morlia was a tiny bit offended that he thought her as an equal opponent, but nonetheless she agreed.

"Do you need a sword?" She asked him.

"Yes."

Morlia walked over to Fili's coat, which he had left on the ground, and picked up a small sword, round about the right weight for Ori and handed him it.

"Do you know how to use a sword?" She asked slowly.

"Yes," Ori looked in every direction accept at her.

Morlia sighed and unstrapped the knives on her wrists, the ones on her arm, the ones on her legs and the ones in her boots and carefully placed them on a stone near her.

"Right. Now lets get to work." She looked at his carefully, then she attacked him, slashing her sword at him until he was lying on his back with his sword about eight yards away from them, "Rule one, hold onto your sword or axe, or whatever you are using, and don't let go of it! Rules two, don't underestimate your opponent." She raised her eyebrows at him. "Rules three-"

"What are you doing?" Dori cried to them, with an armful of wood that he had collected from the forest, "He is only little!" He dropped the branches and ran over to them; "No sword fighting!" and he shoved Morlia out of the way so he could help little Ori up.

Dwalin laughed at her face as she sat down on the ground and grumbled about stupid mothering dwarves.

"What are you laughing at?" She shot at him.

He walked over to her and pinged the back of her eye patch, "You know, you haven't changed much. Well, accept for that." Dwalin pointed at her patch.

"What? And you have changed?" She snorted.

He sat down next to her, "No, I mean, the world's events don't seem to affect you."

"Dwalin, of course they affect me! I just don't let them take _hold_ of _my_ life. I am the one in charge."

* * *

Night had fallen and Bofur was dishing out supper. Tonight it was mutton stew with nice big chucks of potato and carrots.

"He's still not back yet," Bilbo muttered as he looked into the night.

"Who?" asked Bofur.

"Gandalf."

"The wizard does what he wants, when he wants," Morlia chipped in, "I wouldn't worry, Bilbo, he can look after himself."

"It's not that I am worried about," Bilbo muttered underneath his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!" He replied.

Bofur dished out two bowlfuls of stew, "Be a lad and take this to the boys, they're looking after the ponies," He handed them to Bilbo, then swatted Bombur hand away from the pot, "No! You've had plenty!"

Bilbo walked off toward the dark forest where the ponies were being kept.

"Bombur, this stew is wonderful!" Morlia called to him, from sitting next to Nori.

"Thank you! I put in some fresh spring onion that I found on one of the banks of the river," Bombur explained enthusiastically to her.

"Mm, yeah! Compliments to the chef," Nori mumbled with his mouth full. (So it sounded a bit more like; Mn, yaah! Coohmloons do da chaf.)

"So," Thorin turned to Morlia, "What have you been up to in the past 30 years?"

Morlia shrugged and then swallowed, "I wandered around for a bit, scared a few towns of men that do not believe in our existence and made some friends."

"Where did you go?"

"Bree, Rhudaur and the Shire. I lived in Bree for quite a while."

"How did you make a living?"

"I caught animals and sold them in the market," She laughed, "You know, I was quite well thought of. 'Morlia, the small lady who catches the best rabbits around'."

"Well thought of?"

"Yeah." She nodded sincerely, and then added, "I helped spread the rumor of course."

Suddenly out of nowhere, Kili and Fili shouted, "Trolls!" [In the dungeon! (Sorry I can't help it)]

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**Wanaz - Dont rely on me to tell you! Look it up yourself you lazy bum! If your reading this - surely you have the time to search it!**


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